US Special Representative for Syria Engagement, James Jeffrey is expected in Ankara next Monday to discuss the latest developments in Syria, including the US withdrawal, the safe zone in the eastern Euphrates and the implementation of the US-Turkish roadmap in Manbij.
Diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US official’s visit to Turkey was planned following a telephone conversation held last Thursday between Turkey’s presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin and US National Security Adviser John Bolton.
Jeffrey would be accompanied to Ankara by an official from the State Department.
Last Wednesday, Turkish diplomatic sources said a Turkish-US joint business group should hold talks in Washington for two days starting Thursday to discuss the latest developments in Syria, particularly the US withdrawal, the safe zone and the pull out of Kurdish units from Manbij.
However, the Pentagon denied on Friday that Turkish officials had visited the US capital for holding such talks.
Pentagon spokesman Navy Cmdr. Sean Robertson told Asharq Al-Awsat that no meetings were lately held in Washington with Turkish officials, describing such reports as false.
In Ankara, Jeffrey and the US delegation are expected to hold talks next Monday with Kalin and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, in addition to several officials at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the sources said.
Jeffrey’s visit came a week after the newly appointed US Ambassador to Turkey, David Satterfield, arrived in Ankara on July 10, a post vacant since October 2017.
During the past few days, reports and several sources spoke about a Turkish readiness to conduct an operation in Manbij to oust Kurdish units and other operations in Tal Abiyad and Tal Rifaat in the eastern Euphrates.
The reports also said that Ankara plans to place its loyal armed Syrian factions on alert in the area of Operation Shield Euphrates and Ghosn al-Zeytoun in the north of Syria.
Turkey reportedly attacked the surrounding of Tal Abiyad and Tal Rifaat in the past few days as a sign Ankara could move in this area at any time.
On Friday, Kurdish circles in Washington expressed fears from the current suggestions related to the safe zone, its borders and its guarantor parties.
Those circles said the suggested size of this area was unclear in light of the ignorance of some parties of the geography of towns located at the Syrian-Turkish borders.
